So…how does one thank hives of bees for their award-winning efforts at the show and for their contribution to our lip balms and goats milk and honey soaps…and toast of course? It’s not like you can shake their hands! So I decided I’ll plant some more special bee-loving bushes and flowers for them so they have even more fantastic forage year round. I took the “champion” ribbon out to show them today (of course this is crazy as they can’t read, but I did want to acknowledge their efforts and thank them). I don’t know what nectar they’ve been sipping on, or if they were just awed by their prize, but they were placid to the point of dopey! They were so SO calm! Maybe just lapping up their win! Anyway, it meant I was able to bring in more boxes of honey for extraction and for that ever so special beeswax. Then Rod the Bee man popped round later in the afternoon to help reaffix a small hive beetle trap that I fill with olive oil to keep the little bugs (or is that buggers? 
) under control. Rod is the best and most generous mentor ever and a great bee coach if you’re in need of one! He runs courses here for novices and one of the ladies from last week’s course sent us this note:
“I think you run a great show . Everyone really enjoyed it…I have to tell you that ( after 26 hr for me, 50 hrs for the rest ) in Nabiac doing the bees and staying at your farm … I felt like l’d been away from Sydney and work for 3 weeks – it was sooooh relaxing…”
The rest of the day was spent making goats milk soap. And then – with help from Miss 9yo – collecting pine needles for the bee smoker. We have a nice big bag now, so that should be enough fuel for the next few months of beekeeping. If the pine needles run out…there’s always bracken fern if we’re desperate…though it does burn very hot so it’s the last option…might just need to hunt down some more pine trees.
A bee investigates its prize ribbon!
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